A few months ago, we officially kicked off our international expansion in Sao Paulo, Brazil and sent two up-and-coming RV-ers down there to join Carlos for the launch.When they arrived in Brazil, they had no office and no place to live. They didn’t speak a word of Portugese, they hadn’t yet signed the contract on our first business partner, and no one south of the equator had ever heard of the name “Red Ventures.”
Luckily, we caught all of this on film. See what happens when people stop being polite start a new life in a new country and work together to build an international business from scratch – 5,000 miles from home. Watch the all-new “RV Brazil Diaries” below!
PS: Why are we doing this?
We’ll be honest: This is as much about financial gains for RV as it is about creating new and exciting opportunities for employees. We’re all about “staying uncomfortable” and creating excitement at home and abroad, and this South American exploration will help us reach new global partners, tap new talent pools, and create new experiences and opportunities for our current employees.
But here’s the biggest reason we’re doing this: Our senior leaders know first-hand how incredibly valuable the experience of living and working abroad is, both in terms of personal and professional development, and they’re passionate about sharing those experiences with everyone at RV.
Story time!
It’s 1989. A twenty-three year old future Red Ventures CEO, Ric Elias, is fresh out of college (and still fairly new to the English language). He quickly lands a job at GE and is selected to transfer to Japan, where he’s tasked with establishing new global business relationships and partnerships. According to Mark Brodsky (his boss at the time, and current Red Ventures CFO):
“Living and working abroad is a huge part of what made him into the leader he is now. He was forced to work independently and to make decisions on his own without being able to fall back on me or anyone else for direction. He had to make his own mistakes, fail fast and learn faster.
He signed on to work 6 months in Japan, but he ended up staying more than a year. He understood exactly what he was doing and how significant the experience was in terms of his personal growth and professional development. The knowledge and that mindset of independence and adventure (and survival) that you develop when you go through an experience like this is something that just can’t be taught. You’ve got to live it.”
NEXT WEEK: Ricky and Christina explore the city and update us on the launch of our first international partner.
